Bob Saddler I
) (50's as of ) |death= |nationality=Araluen |aliases=Young Bob Old Bob |occupations=Ranger Horse Breeder |gender=Male |height=Short |hair=Brown Dirty white |eyes= |skin=Brown (tanned) |family=Robina Saddler (wife) Roberta Saddler (daughter) Bob Saddler II (son) |pets=Abelard (formerly) Bellerophon Tug II (formerly) Cormac Cropper (formerly) Bumper (formerly) |mentors= |apprentices=Bob Saddler II }} Bob Saddler I, sometimes referred to as Old Bob '''or '''Young Bob, was a Ranger horse breeder. Description Bob is said to be quite small, even shorter than some of the Rangers. Even at thirty years old, he was already almost completely bald, with only a few tufty fringes of brown hair around his ears. Due to the nature of his job, he was severely bowlegged and his skin was tanned the color of leather . Halt noted him to be irrepressibly cheerful , constantly grinning, nodding, and making other energetic and enthusiastic gestures. History Although little is known of Bob’s life, his business of breeding Ranger Horses seemed to be a family one. In The Early Years, he was referred to as "Young Bob", suggesting that he is actually one in a line of Bobs, as "young" implies there is another, "old," Bob. This idea is also supported by the fact that his job is later taken over by his son, Bob Saddler II. It is unknown if Roberta continued in the family business. His tanned skin and severe bowleggedness suggest he has been breeding and training horses for many years. Bob is introduced to Halt the other rangers, intending to get him a new horse to replace his current one, Declan. Bob shows him a selection of four horses, all three years old. After Halt selects Abelard, Bob initially stops him from mounting the horse, reminding him that they cannot be stolen. Annoyed, Halt brushes him off and tries anyways, resulting in him being thrown off. Amused, Bob relents and tells him Abelard's password. Additionally, he advises Halt to learn to properly shoot from horseback. It is unknown what happened to Declan, but he may have been left in Bob's care. If this was the case, he would likely have been integrated into the breeding program. During Will's training, Halt had purposefully left Abelard with Bob so Will could focus more on his other Ranger studies. However, he later takes him to Saddler's Farm to get his own ranger horse. There, Bob is shown to be living alone in a small cabin, suggesting that Robina may have since passed away. He gives Will Tug, and the two develop an instant friendship, despite Will being thrown off his back. Bob teaches Will how to look after his horse and is impressed with the boy's natural riding ability. Old Bob appears again in The Wolf. When Tug is injured, Will takes him to the horse breeder and leaves Tug to heal. During this time, Bob lends him Cormac, Crowley's old horse. Bob tries his best to heal Tug, but there is little he can do. Tug would always walk with a limp. He then gives Will a new horse, one identical to Tug and with the same name, while the original Tug was renamed Bellerophon. Bob is said to be deaf now, and has passed the job of horse breeder to his son, Young Bob, who is still quite old. It is not known where he lives. Skills * Horse Breeding: As the master horse breeder for the Ranger Corps , Bob was well versed in the art of horse breeding. He specifically bred them for speed and stamina, and was knowledgeable in various horse strains, such as the Hibernian Glendans and Gallican Tireurs. * Horse Training: Bob, likely with the help of his family, was also responsible for training the horses. He would teach them their code words and various wordless commands. Unlike most horses, they would not suck air into their stomach in an attempt to relieve the pressure of the saddle billets, again a result of their training. Relationships Robina Saddler Bob’s wife, a plump and motherly woman. Like Bob, she was an extremely cheerful person. Bob lovingly refers to her as Bobby when they’re not being formal . She found Halt’s half bow quite amusing, later imitating it as she left. Although appearing only briefly, she appeared to have a happy relationship with her husband. The Twins The twins, jokingly referred to as The Bobbities, are Bob’s and Robina’s children. Amusingly, they’re named Roberta and Bob II (nicknamed "Little Bob") , names exceedingly similar to their parents'. Both parents maintain a loving relationship with the children. After catching them eavesdropping on his conversation with the rangers, Bob chided them with mock ferocity, then asked Robina to watch them. Despite being caught, the twins remained amused with the situation, constantly giggling and smiling. And although they were reluctant to leave, they departed with Robina without complaint. Trivia * Bob may not actually be Bob Saddler the first, but rather one in a long line of Bobs. References Category:Characters Category:The Ruins of Gorlan Characters Category:The Wolf Characters Category:A New Beginning Characters Category:Males Category:Araluens